Method for producing laundry starch



, tioned throughout the entire Io Drawing.

um'rso sures anon u. IomGH, or cor-onus, onm-assrenon 'ro srsn'cn PATENT OFFICE. 1

. comm, O1 OOLUIBUS, OHIO, ACQBPORATION OI OHIO.

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To all whom z't-may concern: r I

Be it known thatI, EDGAR N. MoVms'H, a' citizen of the United States. atColumbus, in the county of Franklin and tate of Ohio, have invented vcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods for. Producing Laundry Starch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an im roved method for producing laundry stare and has for its prime object to produce a starch wherein the ifierent ingredients en tering the same will be uniforglg propory of' the starch, so that the desired proportions may be obtained by the use of any] art of the starch formed in accordancewit fih'eprinci les of this invention. y way of introduction it may be stated that laundry starch usually consists of onehalf wheat starch and one-half corn starch, equal quantities of the two starches being usually mixed together in either granular or powder form by any suitable mix ng process.

This method of intermingling thestarches while the same are in crystallized or powder form has never proven entirely satisfactory for the reason that although equal amounts of the two starches are mixed together, owing to the difference in the formation of the particles of the starch, and thefact that the wheat starch particle is harder than the corn, it has been found that in shipping and handling the product the corn becomes a very fine powder, and the wheat does not break up so readily so that by the time the product reaches the consumer for use, the larger grains of the starch have worked to the ends and around the outsidesof the barrel or other container in which the starch is handled, leaving the wder in the center and thereby causing t e separation of the two starches. Therefore, when this. starch is used in a laund there is no assurance that the given quantity of the same, taken at random from a' barrel, contains one-half wheat and the other half corn starch, although this was the original and intended mixture. Further, it may bestated that in the laundry business. it is very necessary that the starch should be absolutely uniformly proportioned in order that the best results if lpecincatlon 0! Letters Patent.

l Application fled lay l9,

corn and wheat stare Patented Feb. 7, 1922. me. Serial Io. teases.

'. unpliable character, and on the contrary if the wheat starch is employed to excess, the garments Wlll be altogether too pliable and exlbletherefore, it is essential that the corn and wheat starches be uniformly mixed in proportions in order that the finished garments Wlll be given the requisite appearance and character. the laundry trade fre uently purchases the in separate barrels and then mtermmgles the same when desired for use, but the ob'ectionto this system is that double quantities of the starch must be carried, and furthermore through the carelessness or indifference of the em loyes the prgpler proportions are not tobe o tained.

v e present lnvention consists, therefore, in comb ning wheat and corn starch, while the latter are in a state constitutin a col loidal sus ension in water, and by t is cess the starch is'prepared by soaking grain corn in tanks containing a weak sulphurous acid solution, order that the hulls ma be loosened from the body of the grain.

rains after being so treated are then subected to the action of a separator, in order that the loosened hulls may be completely removed from the body of the grain. After the removal of the hulls and germs the grain is ground and is mixed with a suitable uantity of water, whereupon the resultant liquid mixture is flowed over a series of tables, in order that the excess water may flow ofl? the starch and to permit the latter to settle so that the same may be collected. This process ofproducing corn starch is well known, and hence no claim is made to the same per se. It will be evident, however, that upon the completion of this process the collected corn starch will constitute a colloidal suspension in water, known to the trade as starch milk which has the consistency substantially of ordinary dairy cream, and is a finished roduct with the exception of drying. he wheat starch is formed in the usual manner, that is, wheat flour is mixed in any suitable manner, such for example as a dough mixer, and is subjected to the usual washing pro.- cess for the purpose of separating or removing the gluten from the starch. When this luten has been removed the resultant starch s I over the sawi g tables, well known In view of this condition ronally completed product will be uniformly proportioned throughout a given mass of the same to effect this end, the corn in the art, which allow theexcess water to pass over and to permit the remaining wheat starch to settle to the bottoms of the tables,

in order that the starch may thus be collected and dried.

' Hitherto it has been the common process to dry these different starches in a separate state in order that they could be reduced to a granularor powdered form, and then mechanically mixed, as above stated, for trade purposes. However, the present 'invention, in order to overcome the above stated diszulvantages, takes these two starch creams in equal amounts so that the same may be put together in large tanks and equipped with agitators in which they are thoroughly mixed and beaten together. The construction of these tanks from a mere mechanical standpoint, is deemed unimportant, as it is obvious that the mixers may be of many desirable constructions. After being thoroughly mixed in their semi-liquid condition, the starches form a composite product,

I which latter is withdrawn from the tanks and is put through the regular drying process, hitherto utilized in drying the starches in a separated manner. When'the starch has been finally dried it assumes a granular form, each grain and article contain-in one-half wheat and onealf corn combine into a mechanically inseparable whole, which thereby assures the user a uniformity which can not be obtained by the previously discussed prior methods.

From the foregoing description 'it will be seen that by the process described the blending of the two liquid starches together before drying is capable of producing a more uniform product than it is possible for the laundryman to make in his own plant. The process has the added advantage of enabling the user to cover his starch requirements with one barrel of starch instead of two, and also results in a saving of the labor of mixing and the possibility of errors in preparation, which is a very important item 111 this particular business. It will therefore be seen that the nesent invention consists in the process of blending two processes together in their liquid form before being dried and sold as a finished product.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of producing laundry starch, which consists in blending wheat and corn starches by mixing the same together while they are in a form comprising a colloidal suspension in water..

2. The process of producin laundry starch, which consists in blending wheat and corn starches together while they are in a form comprising a colloidal suspension in water, and in subsequently drying the same to produce the finished product.

3'. The process of producing laundry starch, whichconsists in blending equal proportions of wheat and corn starches together While they are in a form constituting a col loidal suspension in' water, and in subsequently drying the combined starches.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDGAR N. MoVEIGH. 

